Hard Hit
by narnian-starkid
Summary: "One minute we're all carefree and just enjoying ourselves so much, doing what we loved, and now with one little accident it was all falling to pieces." StarKid fic.
1. Chapter 1

_(Joey's POV)_

The usual hustle and bustle of the local theatre was increased ten-fold that morning. We were preparing for our latest tour and the whole group was excited: I know I couldn't wait! Everything was sounding fantastic, and we'd finally managed to get the choreography sorted. We'd moved into the theatre this morning to get our bearings in the performance space we would be using for the very first show in two days. Currently, we were on a break from rehearsal, waiting for Julia to tell us to go back and finish the run-through.

Lauren and Jaime were the last two playing the Ninja Slap game (the rest of us had gotten out ages ago), Brian and Dylan were lounging near the edge of the stage, Meredith was the Ninja referee, Walker and I were playing Connect-4 at the back of the stage and Corey was hanging around with the lighting guys. The band was taking a break backstage. Everything was really relaxed, everyone was just chilling out, letting the stress of the tour slide away. That is, we were until Julia burst back in through the large double doors to the theatre.

"Okay guys, break's over! We're going to get back to rehearsing now" she called, letting her gaze rest on Lauren, who seemed to have twisted herself into a weird position in order to keep herself away from Jaime's hand. Most of the group groaned as they stood up and walked back over to the front of the stage, sitting on the edge. Julia adjusted her glasses and glanced down at the set-list that was attached to her clipboard.

"We're going to start from _Even Though_, so Joey and Jaime can you get into your places please?" she asked. We both nodded and I walked over to the microphone stand, putting back into position. Jaime followed me backstage as we waited for the band to take their places. I saw Julia give the thumbs up and Charlene began playing the opening chords. Walking out onto the stage, I paused behind the microphone and began to sing.

Jaime soon came out and joined me, and I grinned as I felt the pump of adrenaline surge through my body. My voice grew stronger as I relaxed into the beat of the song, throwing a few random dance moves here and there: we were both having a blast. The others came on stage in the last verse and began oohing behind us. Jaime smiled widely at me as I skipped behind her and pretended to fall. This is where everything went wrong.

I felt my body lean to the right, and usually I would adjust my footing to stop myself from actually falling. This time, I went to adjust myself a few milliseconds too late, and my body fell faster and faster towards the floor. I couldn't stop myself, and the last thing I remember hearing was a piercing scream, then there was an explosion of pain in my head and everything went black.

_**TBC...**_


	2. Chapter 2

_(Brian's POV)_

We all watched him fall in slow motion, hearing a sickening crack before there was silence, and he lay on the edge of the stage, unmoving. Jaime screamed and the music stopped rather abruptly.

I couldn't move: my feet were frozen and my body was shaking, so I could only watch as Walker (being the closest) sprinted over and fell to his knees next to the still form. A few moments of agonising silence passed before he raised his head. The worry and pure fear in his face when he looked back at us chilled me to my stomach.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" he yelled, voice shaking.

Immediately, Dylan pulled out his phone and walked over to the side of the stage, away from the main group. I glanced around at the rest of the team. Lauren and Meredith were huddled in a small group with Charlene and Jaime, who looked as though she was both in shock and trying not to cry. Wanting something to do, I forced my feet to move and shuffled over to Walker, who hadn't left Joey's side.

Kneeling down, I put one hand on Joe's shaking shoulder, the question lingering in my eyes. Joe simply shook his head and continued to watch Joey's chest rise and fall in an attempt to calm himself. I myself tried my hardest not to look at his pale skin or the blood that was beginning to form in his hair. It nauseated me, and I had to look away, standing again as I did so.

Dylan walked back over to the rest of us, having ended his phone call. He glanced up at all of us and simply said "they're on their way."

I couldn't help the relief that attempted to crawl into my chest, but fear and worry soon replaced it once more as I turned my gaze on the rest of the group once more. The girls were still huddled together, while Corey, Clark, Mark and Tomek were deep in serious conversation near the back of the stage, occasionally glancing over at us worriedly. I sat down beside Joe again, blocking out all sound except that of slightly ragged breathing – I didn't know where it was coming from, but the noise was comforting. I settled down to wait.

My hand found itself clasping the cool, awfully limp hand of our unconscious friend. Joe turned his head away, sensing that I needed a moment. Bowing my own head, fighting against the worried tears that threatened to escape, I bent forward and whispered in his ear.

"Please, please be okay" my voice breaking as I said it.

The only reply I got was slow, shallow breathing.

_**TBC...**_


	3. Chapter 3

_(Dylan's POV)_

Barely five minutes had passed since I had gotten off the phone when I heard faint sirens in the distance. Not a minute later, and a team of four paramedics were striding swiftly into the theatre; two of them pushing a gurney between them. My stomach clenched when I saw the neck brace, and I had to glance away for a second.

I hardly registered the questions they were asking, but from what I could hear, Julia and Corey were handling it pretty well. I finally convinced my feet to move, and when they did, they were on autopilot towards Brian and Joe, neither of which had moved.

Putting a comforting – albeit shaky – hand on Brian's shoulder, I gave him a tiny smile and held out a hand for him to stand. He took it gratefully and I then turned to Walker to offer the same thing. I was met with a blank stare, worry glazing his eyes, making them appear almost pale instead of their usual piercing blue. Taken aback, I stood back and turned away.

I ran my hands through my hair in despair and frustration. How the hell could this have happened? One minute we're all carefree and just enjoying ourselves so much, doing what we loved, and now with one little accident it was all falling to pieces. I barely registered the paramedics leaving the theatre, pushing the gurney between them once more, and I only just heard the sound of the tyres crunching on bitumen before the urgent shrieking of the sirens masked them as the ambulance drove away.

I was suddenly startled out of my reverie when Julia came and tapped me on the shoulder. I turned a slightly blank stare on her and was met with frightened, but sympathetic, eyes as she turned back to the rest of the group.

"Corey and I are going to drive down to the hospital and find out what's happening. I'll be taking the girls and Corey will drive the guys. The band has very kindly offered to stay behind and lock up." She was saying.

Not for the first time was I incredibly grateful for our band. I turned and locked eyes with Clark and Charlene, both of whom looked as bad as we probably did, but they smiled and shook their heads. I flashed them both an extremely grateful smile in return.

Immediately, we piled into the respective cars and began the slow trek to the hospital. In Corey's car, I had called shotgun on the passenger seat, while Brian and Walker sat in the back seat. Every so often, I glanced back at Joe; he looked so miserable. Then again, I suppose that's how we all looked. My gaze returned to the window, watching the streets of Chicago fly past. In a small way, it comforted me, and I could get lost in the blurred colours and outlines of the outside world so that I would almost forget what was going on and where we were going.

Almost...

_**TBC...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_(Walker's POV)_

Finally, Corey's car parked outside the hospital. My whole body tensed with anticipation and I quickly undid my seatbelt and leapt out of the car. I didn't even register Dylan or Corey calling me back, or hearing the girls arrive; all I could focus on was my best friend. I had been replaying his fall over and over again in my head ever since I had gotten in the car, and I all I could do was wonder what was going to happen.

I felt a steady hand on my shoulder and turned to see Brian standing there, panting slightly but pleading me with his eyes to wait. I felt tears begin to sting my own, but I nodded reluctantly. He gave me a tiny smile in thanks, and when the rest of the group joined us, we trekked inside at a more sedate pace.

The waiting room was crowded and noisy, as usual, and there were no remaining chairs so that left us standing in a room of screaming toddlers and grandmas that were complaining more about their bowls game than any medical ailments. My impatience continued to grow until I felt Lauren nudge me gently and she nodded towards an approaching doctor: a young-ish doctor of about thirty, with thick black hair and deep blue eyes hidden behind square glasses. When he spotted us, he smiled in that way that doctors do and beckoned us over to him. None of us said a word.

"Good afternoon," he greeted us in a warm, comforting voice "my name is Dr Potter and I am in charge of your friend's case."

"How is he?" Brian asked, apprehension lacing his voice.

"Your friend has sustained a serious concussion that has brought on an extended unconscious state. He has also broken two ribs on the right side and some severe bruising" Dr Potter explained gently, taking care to look at each of us in turn.

No one could say anything: I could feel Lauren was shaking next to me. Closing my eyes, I tried to pretend that this wasn't happening, and I slowly lowered my head onto my chest. I could just hear Jaime muffling a sob before biting her lip and glancing up at the doctor with tears glistening in her eyes.

"Will he wake up?" she asked timidly.

I raised my head enough to watch Dr Potter for his response. He showed no visible emotions on his face – damn, doctors were good at that.

"I can't promise you anything, but his chances at present are quite good. He's very lucky; a fall like that could easily have caused more severe damage" he replied.

The entire group let out a simultaneous sigh of relief. For the first time that afternoon, I felt as if a weight had left my shoulders. I raised my head the rest of the way and looked Dr Potter straight in the eyes.

"Are we allowed to see him?" I asked, voice barely quavering.

Something in my gaze must have convinced him, because he nodded and led us down a long, bland white corridor. The rest of the group were talking quietly behind us, but I found myself unable to participate in the conversation: all of my thoughts were on what awaited us at the end of this blasted hallway.

After walking up a flight of stairs and down short corridor, Dr Potter stopped outside a white door on the right of the hall.

"This is a private room, so feel free to stay for as long as public visiting hours permit. If anything happens, or you require assistance, press the red button."

"Thank you so much doctor" Julia said, and he smiled at us before returning to the lower floor.

There was nothing overly special about the room itself: it was a small, squarish shape with a shaded window on the far side that looked out onto the park near the hospital. Bright sunlight streamed through the light, beige curtains that framed the spotless glass. The floor and walls were a creamy white, with simply-framed photographs of fish and of a rainforest that looked more at home in a wildlife documentary than in a hospital room. A constant whir of machines and the monotonic beeping of the heart-rate monitor occupied the otherwise silent room. Already I felt cramped and uncomfortable and we'd been in the room barely five seconds. I had wanted to get in here so badly, and now all I wanted to do was leave.

The bed occupied the centre of the room, underneath a picture of a lonely cabin by the beach. Its off-white sheets matched the walls, while the sky blue blanket was a stark – though not unwelcome – contrast and an appreciated splash of colour. Finally, my eyes came to rest on the bed's occupant.

If it weren't for the stillness of his body and the paleness of his skin, I would have said that Joey was merely asleep. My eyes wandered over the antiseptic pad that was covering his head injury, down to the drip attached to his left hand, while his right rested over his abdomen. The usual spark of mischief and bounce of enthusiasm was missing from his whole body, replaced by a cold limpness. His breathing was slow, deep and rhythmical – in perfect sync with the beeping of the monitor – courtesy of the tubes invading his nose. It was comforting and yet it was cruel at the same time. I couldn't help but look away, tears beginning to form in my eyes.

I felt a nudge in my side and glanced down to see Lauren looking up at me, hazel eyes sympathetic and kind. She put an arm around my waist and guided me over to the others. We stood around the bed in silence. Jaime took his right hand and bowed her head against her tears: I felt truly sorry for her, she loved him so much. I walked around to her and sat down, rubbing circles on her shaking back. She raised her head, tears staining her face, and gave me a small smile.

After about twenty minutes, most of the group had left, and only Brian and I remained. I had barely said a word sitting on the edge of the bed, and Brian had just sat by the window watching the children laughing and playing in the park below us. It was nearing sunset and the street lights were beginning to light up Chicago. At around six pm, a nurse came in and informed us that public visiting hours were over, and unless we were immediate family, could we please leave. Brian nodded and thanked the nurse, who smiled in return and proceeded to check her patient. I heard Brian's footsteps approach me and I felt him put an arm around my slightly shaking shoulders. Wordlessly, I obeyed the silent command and we walked out of the tiny room.


	5. Chapter 5

(Darren's POV)

When Corey rang me that night, I had just come from one of our cast parties to celebrate the end of another season and my spirits were high. It was about ten o'clock at night here, which meant that it was about midnight over in Chicago, so it puzzled me as to what was so urgent for him to not wait until morning. When I unlocked my phone to answer, I realised that I had a text each from Julia, Lauren, Brian and Dylan and two missed calls from Julia and Corey.

"Hey Corey" I answered cheerfully.

"Hi Darren" his reply bugged me; there was little of the usual warmth and friendliness, so I guessed that something must be up.

"You okay man? Is something wrong?" I asked, uncertainty welling in my stomach.

It was Corey's silence that scared me more than anything. He was usually really forthcoming with most pieces of information, and when he wasn't, you knew it was either a big secret, or something was very, very wrong.

"Darren, it's Joey" he finally replied.

Immediately, he had my attention. I sat up completely straight on my couch, frowning and the horrible feeling in my stomach increasing ten-fold.

"What? What's happened?" I demanded; worry making me sound slightly hysterical I'm sure.

This time, Corey didn't hesitate too much: only about a minute of silence before he replied, and what he said sent my stomach free-falling into the ground beneath my feet.

"There was an accident during rehearsal today, Darren. He fell and hit his head pretty hard on the stage. He's in hospital right now."

His voice, I now realised, was quiet and slightly hoarse. I couldn't say anything: my brain was in shock of what I had just heard.

"How soon can you get over here?" Corey was asking me now.

I swallowed past the building lump in my throat and replied "I should be able to fly out tomorrow or even tonight. We just finished the season and they won't need me until December."

"Cool, well look, just try and get over here as soon as you can. If you can't, then that's okay too" said Corey, stifling a yawn.

"I'll try and get a flight out tonight and I'll call one of you when I'm coming in" I whispered, still not able to speak any louder. This was my best friend we were talking about: not even the apocalypse would keep me from seeing him.

We said our goodbyes and I hung up, the tears in my eyes no longer able to stay put, and I immediately sat myself in front of my computer to book a flight.

Ten minutes later, it was all booked. Later than I would have liked, but it was booked. I stood and traipsed down the hall to my room to pack. Once I was packed, I set my phone alarm to five am and fell asleep rather quickly.

Five am came quick enough and by five fifteen, I was in a cab headed to the airport. The plane was boarded by six am and had taken off by six thirty. I shifted in my seat and tried to get comfortable for the four hour flight. I had already sent a text to Corey telling him to expect my plane at around ten-thirty am (my time, so around midday there). He sent me a quick reply saying that either Julia or he would be waiting for me in Chicago.

Glancing out the tiny pane of glass that was meant to pass as a window, I watched the clouds beneath the plane, and put on my music. The first song that came on – Not Alone – somewhat calmed the turmoil of my emotions, and for the first time since ten o'clock the night before, I relaxed into my seat and lost myself in the music.

When my plane landed at quarter to one Chicago time, Julia was waiting for me, as promised. We greeted each other somewhat sombrely, though I was delighted to see her. Steering me over to her car, she filled me in on what other shenanigans the group had gotten up to since we had last seen each other. Most of it I'd already heard during one of Joey's more recent Skype conversations, but it felt good to hear the other news as well. I listened obediently and when she told me the story of the most recent (and I might add, epic) instalment of the Ninja Slap game, I laughed out loud. It felt good to release some of the tension, and Julia seemed focused on doing just that, so we kept trading funny stories all the way back to the manor.

Walking into the manor, I was met (rather forcefully) by a small body colliding with my own. A genuine smile crept up onto my face as Lauren let out a delighted squeal and released me. Her squeal alerted the others to my arrival: Brian and Meredith came in from the living room, Dylan, Clark, Charlene and Jaime all peeked around the door to the kitchen and grinned before tackling me in a hug. I felt someone ruffle my hair and looked up to see Walker grinning at me like an idiot. It was easy, in that moment, to forget that one of our number was missing, but as soon as the others all pulled themselves off me, a sombre cloud seemed to settle in.

"Any news?" I asked.

They all shook their heads.

"None: we called the hospital this morning" Clark replied softly. My heart couldn't help but sink slightly. Julia must have seen something in my face, for she put her arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.

"Don't worry Darren; he's a tough kid. Anyway, the doctors gave him a really good chance of pulling through" she whispered.

I smiled at her and nodded.

"I know" I whispered back.

"We were going to head over sometime later this afternoon if you wanted to come" Meredith said.

"Could we go now?" I asked in return. They nodded in agreement, and so after I had dumped my bags in Brian's room, we were in the cars and driving away.

When we arrived, Brian took me aside as the rest of the group headed up the street.

"Listen, Mere and I have something else planned for the others, so do you wanna go in ahead of us?" he asked.

"Sure" I replied, nodding. "Mind if I ask what you have planned?"

He just smiled at me, and answered "let's just say that it involves Nerf guns and then a visit to the arcade."

I grinned back "oh that's devious that is Bri."

He sped off after the others, and I turned to the automatic hospital doors. After asking the receptionist for directions, I set off down a long hallway, up a set of stairs and down another short hallway until I came to Room 215. Taking a deep breath, I put my fingers around the door handle and twisted it.

The room was empty, minus its unconscious occupant. The mid-afternoon sun was beginning to fade from the window, shadowing parts of the room almost ominously. I shuffled over to the bed, tears creeping into my eyes and I slumped down in one of the hard, plastic chairs next to the bed. I took my best friend's hand and leaned in close.

"Hey buddy, it's me. Listen, I don't know if you can hear me, but we need you back. The fans are all going nuts over this! Julia told me that the Twitter and the YouTube video the others put out are being overloaded with fans wanting you to get better: she's starting to get sick of the notification emails." Here, I couldn't help but laugh, although it sounded a bit strangled. Taking deep breaths, I looked down at my hands.

"They've had to postpone the tour until further notice. The fans aren't happy, but they understand at least. But it's not just them who need you back: we need you. The group just isn't the same without you, it's like there's a massive chunk missing." My voice had dropped to a whisper, and I bowed my head against the anguish that threatened to escape.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone! First of all, I want to announce that, because this chapter is pretty short (sorry about that), that you will be getting TWO chapters today! That's right, TWO. And I also want to very sincerely thank each and every single one of you for reading and enjoying the story, and also to those who have favourited/followed/reviewed. All of these things mean a great deal to me, so I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**

_(Jaime's POV)_

It's been two days, and I have hardly left his bedside. The doctors keep telling us that there is no change, and not to expect any for at least a few days. I have always hated that: I know they can't lie to us, but they could at least give us a straight answer. Instead, I have decided to remain here as long as I can. Walker, Darren and I have been keeping constant vigil, taking it in turns during public visiting hours, with the rest of the group dropping in when they could.

During my watches, I would talk animatedly about the happenings of the group; how Lauren would best Brian in a game of chess (again) and how she still wouldn't stop talking about it, or how Clark and Charlene had been busy writing music for something, occasionally with help from Darren, even how Mere and I had been invited to be guests at the wedding of two old friends of ours at the end of the year, and how we were allowed to bring one other guest each. I knew Mere was going to ask Brian, but I kept quiet as to who I wanted to ask: unconscious or not, I didn't want him knowing that just yet.

It seems that all any of us want to do is find something to distract ourselves, since we didn't have the tour anymore. When we released that video – telling the fans what had happened – we weren't sure how they would react, so the influx of support and well-wishes took us all by surprise. Sometimes, when I couldn't find anything else to talk about, I would read some of the tweets or comments aloud. The fans never ceased to amaze me: their support and understanding was something I would always be grateful for.

Now it was nearly one o'clock in the afternoon, still two days after the accident, and I sat in silence. The fan activity – as well as StarKid activity – had died down, so I was currently out of things to talk about. I heard a knock on the door and when it opened, I saw Walker poke his head in.

"Hey Jaime" he whispered gently, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

I smiled slightly in return before turning back to face my hands. I heard him shuffle across the floor and he put an arm around my shoulders.

"Still no change then?" he asked quietly, almost disappointedly.

Shaking my head, I turned my eyes up to meet his.

"I just don't know what to do Joe!" I cried, frustration lacing every syllable. "What are we supposed to do? I can't just sit here waiting for something to happen, I feel like we should be doing something!" My voice was bordering on mildly hysterical, though I was managing to keep it at a low volume. Feelings of helplessness and uselessness were creating a storm of emotions and suddenly I broke down. I felt Walker pull me towards him and I let my head rest on his shoulder as I cried.

"Oh Jaime" he whispered, compassion and sadness filling his voice. He raised his hand and wiped the tears from my face. I raised my head enough to look him in the eyes as he spoke.

"I don't think any of us knows exactly what to do right now" Joe continued, "all I think we can do is be patient and wait, as much as I wish we could be doing something." He was smiling again, and it made me smile a bit through my tears.

"Why don't you go back to the manor and get some rest? You look like you need it." I nodded and stood, and as I turned to walk out, I bent down and hugged him from behind.

"Thanks Walks" I muttered in his ear, smiling again.


	7. Chapter 7

_(Lauren's POV)_

It was Mere, Jaime, Julia and I versus Brian, Walker, Clark and Dylan. Charlene had gone to meet an old high school friend down at Starbucks, and so Liam had offered to sit this round out to make it fair. He needn't have bothered: we girls were kicking ass right now. Granted, both Julia and Mere had gotten out, and only Dylan was out from the guy's side, but Jaime and I had always worked well together in battle strategy. So yes, we were kicking the boys' arses right now.

"Hiyah!" I cried, aiming one of the paintballs at an approaching Walker, who spun around, and pelted me with paintball ammo of his own. Screaming, I sprinted towards him, dodging the paintball projectiles as I went. Walks, not expecting me to do that, froze.

"Surrender you big idiota" I growled in my Taz voice as I skidded to a stop in front of him. He raised a single eyebrow in response and looked me up and down, a cheeky glint in his eyes. I narrowed my own in suspicion, not lowering my weapon. He raised both hands in defeat and I grinned superiorly before taking his surrendered weapon and walking away: my big mistake.

I felt him grab me and hoist me into the air. When my eyes caught view of the floor, it became obvious that he had put me over his shoulder, and taken both guns.

"Walker! Put me down!" I cried, while trying (and unsuccessfully I might add) to stifle a laugh.

"Never; you are my slave now!" he replied in his Voldemort voice. "Oh snake?" he called.

"Yes master?"

Wait, was that Brian? Where did he come from?

He emerged from behind one of the barriers, grinning like a mad man. His evil grin widened when he saw me pouting, trying my best to fold my arms from my position on Walker's shoulder.

"Were you spying on me the whole time?" I asked.

"Duh: how do you think I knew where to find you?" Walker replied. I could hear the grin in his voice, and I retorted by punching him in the arm playfully.

"Okay, okay, lesson learned. Can you put me down now please?" I grumbled.

The two boys shared a look, before Brian nodded, and I found myself being unceremoniously dumped on the floor at their feet. Rubbing my backside, I took Brian's offered hand and stood.

"Try to run away and it will be the last thing you do" he threatened with a playful grin. I nodded, but my simple acknowledgement wasn't enough for them: Walker insisted on wrapping an arm around my waist and holding me close to him. I rolled my eyes and laughed heartily as he spun me around.

Suddenly, the bell that was meant to signal the end of our round rang out and we all turned towards the direction of the sound. The two boys looked at each other, and I took this opportunity to disentangle myself from Walker's grasp and sprint towards the exit. Ignoring their calls for me to get back to them, I laughed and continued to run until I nearly crashed into Jaime at the exit. Brian and Walker were close behind me and the rest of the group watched in amusement as they proceeded to call me "a little shit" over and over again, sounding rather out of breath.

I just grinned at them.

The rest of the group laughed, as we left the arena together, heading for the Starbucks a few blocks down the road. Meredith and Brian were leading the group (holding hands, which I thought was absolutely adorable), and the rest of us just straggled along behind. Somehow, I wound up walking between Clark and Walker.

"So what was all that I heard about getting away would be the last thing I did?" I asked cheekily, giving Joe a sly look.

Clark chuckled and strode on ahead, clearly not wanting to be caught in the middle of this.

"You get off lightly this time Lopez, but I will have my revenge" he announced dramatically, and for a moment I thought he was being serious, but then he broke the façade, grinning at me and slung an arm around my shoulders.

"Don't look so scared Lauren, I'm just joking" he said, suddenly becoming worried.

Now it was my turn to laugh as I nudged him with my shoulder.

"I know, Walker. I was just messing with you" I replied, smiling broadly.

He visibly relaxed as we continued to walk in comfortable silence.


	8. Chapter 8

_(Walker's POV)_

It's been over a week now. Most of the group seems to visit the lonely room only when they have the time: since the tour was postponed, most of us had to go back to our regular jobs, or back to LA in Darren's case (something about not having some scene on tape). It was just me, Brian, Lauren, Jaime, Meredith and Julia left at the manor for now. Dylan was supposed to come back later tonight from San Francisco, while Clark was flying back to New York with Charlene for a gig they booked in place of the tour.

Some days, I would go down and sit in the room trying to think. Jaime – and sometimes Brian or even Lauren – would come and sit with me and we would try and make small talk, but they would always leave after a while. Jaime might stay for longer – I think it was a comfort for her to be there, she looked so lost these days – but she would soon leave as well.

On the days I would sit alone, mostly in silence, my mind would wander. Today, it wandered back about three years ago, when the two of us were filming the RedVines Tasty Tests.

_It was about eight o'clock at night and Joey was crashing at my apartment in Chicago after we filmed the 'Knockout' episode. I was in the bathroom trying furiously to rid myself of a black eye – courtesy of some expertly applied eye makeup._

"_What are you doing in there Joe: laying eggs?" called Joey from down the hall, cheekiness lacing his voice._

_I rolled my eyes, smiling to myself._

"_Coming mother!" I called back, holding back a laugh._

_Satisfied that I had gotten most of the makeup off, I wiped my face on a towel and walked out into the tiny kitchenette/living area of my apartment, where Joey stood sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea and wearing an amused expression._

"_About time: I was starting to think that humans really could lay eggs" he said, grinning wider. I threw one of the empty boxes of tea at him._

"_Hey, haven't you pelted me enough today?" he whined good-naturedly, straightening his jacket._

"_Nope" I replied, with a grin to match his. He just stuck his tongue out at me, before returning to his tea. _

_I watched him for a moment, revelling in the relaxed aura around him now. Over the past few months or so, especially during Starship, he seemed nothing but stressed and angered very easily because of it, so it was a relief to see things finally settle down._

_He turned back to me, arching an eyebrow with a small smile still on his face._

"_Penny for your thoughts Walks?" he asked, smile slipping slightly._

_I shook my head "I like to think that my thoughts are more expensive than just a single penny" I retorted, still grinning smugly. Joey rolled his eyes._

"_Seriously though, you look like something's up" his smile was gone now, replaced by a look of genuine caring laced with slight concern. I smiled back at him._

"_Just reminiscing" it wasn't a complete lie and it seemed to satisfy Joey. He nodded and glanced out of the apartment window._

"_Well, I'm here to talk if you ever want it, even if you think I'm not listening" he replied softly, resting a hand on my shoulder before turning and walking down the hallway to the guest room._

His words that night had resonated with me ever since. I hadn't taken advantage of it yet, though now seemed like the right time, even if he might not be listening.

"Hey pal, I'm back" I hesitated for a few moments, but I couldn't stop now. "You once told me that you would always be there if I needed someone to talk to. Well, I need that now, so forgive me if I start to ramble." Here, I smiled slightly, knowing that if he was listening, he wouldn't mind in the slightest.

"Most of the group's gone now, back to their lives. I mean, we just aren't all together in Chicago anymore. We haven't been for a few days now." I swallowed past a building lump in my throat, and continued.

"I guess I almost felt angry at them, because I felt like they were deserting you: after everything, I felt like they'd given up on you. It made me so angry, and – I have to admit – I even considered going back to New York to escape for a while. Does that make me a horrible hypocrite? Doing what I had seen the rest of the group doing?"

"But what I feel most ashamed at is that I was angry at you. Imagine that! You hadn't done anything, and I was blaming you for what was going on with the others." I bit back a sob. "Then Darren called us the other night and told us that he can't make it back out for another week or so: damn that G.L.E.E. right?" I managed a small, strangled laugh.

"I think, in all honesty though, I was mostly angry at myself, and I guess I'm letting it out by blaming everyone else. I just wanted you to wake up so bad, but I admit I was starting to lose faith in you. What kind of friend does that make me?" I swallowed hard, trying (and failing miserably) to quench the sobs that threatened to make themselves known. Tears had started to roll down my cheeks, and I had long since given up trying to stop them. Taking shaky breaths, I brought my gaze up to rest on his face.

"Julia's talking about doing the tour without you. I don't think any of us want to, but we promised the fans, and if we have to do it then we have to do it. It just won't be the same, and I know the fans would be so disappointed if you weren't there." I leaned in closer, taking his limp right hand in my own.

"All any of us want right now is for you to wake up. Please, please just wake up: I don't want to do this without you." At this point, I couldn't talk any further, and I slumped onto the bed, my shoulders shaking with sobs as they escaped my throat.

And then I felt something squeeze my hand.

_**TBC…..**_


	9. Chapter 9

_(Subconscious POV)_

_It was a strange, deep blackness that seemed to stretch on forever. Was I dead? No; if I was dead, there wouldn't be any pain: and there was a bit of that. A faint throb in my head and a dull ache in my chest, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember how they got there. Then, with the force of a gentle breeze, it all started coming back: singing, dancing, falling, a loud crack and an explosion of pain._

_The blackness was strangely calming; it felt like I was floating on an invisible cloud that was sitting in limbo in the middle of space. I had stayed this way for quite some time now, but suddenly something felt different. Something seemed to be dragging me down, putting weight back into my body and as it did, the pain grew more intense. I tried to shift into a more comfortable position, but I couldn't move. The tugging was getting stronger, and now there was something else._

_There was a voice out there, somewhere, and I strained my ears to listen to what the voice was saying. It was as if I was trying to listen to a whispered conversation taking place underwater, but slowly the voice started getting clearer until I could recognise the soft, raspy baritone._

_Walker._

"…..told me you would always be there if I needed someone to talk to, well, I need that now, so forgive me if I start to ramble."

_Don't worry Walks, I won't mind._

_For some reason, the voice drifted away, and then I realised that the darkness was getting darker (if that was possible). Fighting the darkness, I focused all of my attention on Walker's voice, and slowly it came back._

"….I even considered going back to New York to escape for a while. Does that make me a horrible hypocrite? Doing what I had seen the rest of the group doing?"

_No, it makes you human. I wouldn't have blamed you if you had gone, you know._

"…what I feel most ashamed at is that I was angry at you. Imagine that! You hadn't done anything, and I was blaming you for what was going on with the others."

_Oh it's okay; you're just behaving like a normal human being. I'm not gonna bite your head off for thinking it buddy._

_There was silence out there now, and for a moment I thought I had lost him, but then the voice slowly drifted back into hearing range._

"…Julia's talking about doing the tour without you. I don't think any of us want to, but we promised the fans, and if we have to do it then we have to do it. It just won't be the same, and I know the fans would be so disappointed if you weren't there."

_Just do it, if it won't get your mind off what happened, then it will please the fans. We're doing this for the fans remember?_

"…..Please, please just wake up…"

_I'm trying Joe._

"….I don't want to do this without you."

_Oh Joe._

_Wait, are you crying? Joe, don't cry!_

_Absentmindedly, I tried to comfort him in any way I could, and I was surprised when I found that I could actually move my hand. I could feel Joe's large, slightly calloused hand holding it tightly, and I gave it a comforting squeeze._

_Immediately, I felt stronger, as if Joe's hand was a lifeline that I was clutching while being pulled to shore. The darkness started to grow lighter and the more it did, the stronger I felt and the more aware I became. I could hear a soft beeping in the background, and I noticed that the crying had stopped. Then I heard someone softly whisper my name._


	10. Chapter 10

_(Walker's POV)_

I glanced up, paying no mind to the tears on my cheeks.

"Joey?" I whispered, not quite daring to believe what I had just felt.

Immediately, I felt a few fingers twitch beneath my hand. Excitement began building inside me, swelling my stomach like a balloon. His eyelids began to flutter as his eyebrows knitted together in a miniscule frown.

"Come on buddy" I encouraged, giving his hand another squeeze "just open your eyes."

He was still for a few moments, and for a minute I suspected that I had imagined it all, until I felt his fingers twitch again, stronger this time.

Then, slowly but surely, his eyelids fluttered open and they stayed open. Tired, slightly confused brown eyes locked with my own. My heart was threatening to beat right out of my chest, the feeling of elation enough to set me on fire.

"Hey" I grinned "nice of you to rejoin the land of the living at last."

A small, embarrassed smile of his own started to light up his face, before locking eyes with me once more.

"Hello to you too." His voice was no more than a raspy whisper, but his eyes were beginning to regain their usual bright shine.

I couldn't bring myself to wipe the ecstatic smile off my face as I stood and walked to the water container on the far side of the room. Filling a cup, I brought it back and passed it over. He took it gratefully and drank slowly. Passing the empty cup back to me, he sighed and rested back against the pillows. I tossed the cup in the bin and sat back down once more.

"How long was I out?" he asked, voice sounding much more normal, though it was still quiet.

"Just over two weeks" I replied, pressing the red button to alert Dr. Potter. "We've all been really worried about you, even the fans were!"

"I know."

Our eyes locked for a few moments before approaching footsteps alerted us to the arrival of Dr Potter.

"Ah, good to see you awake at last!" he called jovially.

After a few minutes of silent but thorough observation, Dr Potter straightened and smiled at us.

"Everything looks fine, just try not to overexert yourself too much and get plenty of rest, and you should be able to go home in a few days if you behave yourself."

At this, I had to snort: this was Joey we were talking about. Nothing would stop him from being as hyperactive as possible for as long as possible. I glanced down at him and our eyes met; he was pouting already. Shaking my head and laughing harder than I had in two weeks, I gently ruffled his hair.

"Sorry pal, but just think, would rather stick around here or come back to the manor where there's noise and utter chaos?" I asked, and laughed when he raised his head, expression one of good-natured annoyance.

"And that's just from Lauren" he joked, eyes dancing.

I shrugged in agreement. Neither of us had realised that Dr Potter had slipped out of the room, smiling to himself.

The two of us sat talking happily about everything and anything for about twenty minutes, until Joey finally started to run low on hype and slowly fell asleep. I stayed in the room for another few minutes, watching him sleep and taking comfort in his presence. As quietly as I could, I stood and tiptoed out of the room: I had some phone calls to make.


	11. Chapter 11

_(Meredith's POV)_

I was taking a late afternoon nap after Brian and I had gone to the park when I was woken by my phone vibrating, letting me know that I had a new text message. Groaning and rubbing at a sore spot in my neck, I sat up and grabbed the offending piece of technology. When I glanced at the sender ID, I was puzzled: what did Walker want right now?

_Mere: Walker, what is it?_

I hope that he got that I was unimpressed, even though I didn't intentionally mean to sound that way, but I had just been woken up, and I do not like having my sleep interrupted. I lay back down with my phone resting on my chest, and was just drifting back to sleep again when my phone buzzed once more.

_Walker: I'm really sorry Meredith, I'd forgotten you were at Brian's this afternoon. _

_Mere: Well, what is it?_

_Walker: Oh, hang on a sec_.

I groaned at his reply. If there was anything Walker was good at, it was keeping suspense. I knew to give him at least a minute or so to let him have his little dramatic pause for effect, but I wasn't having any of it today.

_Mere: Joe, just tell me!_

He didn't reply for a few seconds, but then at last he answered.

_Walker: I'm getting there! Geez, did Brian make you sleep on the couch? _

I sat there, slightly stunned.

_Mere: He didn't make me, we'd sat down to watch a show on TV and I fell asleep: he's in his room. And how did you know that I was on the couch?_

I could almost hear him chuckling as I waited for his reply. Then I remembered that he apparently had some big news or something, but I kept getting distracted from the conversation because my phone kept lighting up with various Twitter notifications. I was about to go and check them out when Walker texted me back.

_Walker: Righto Mere ;)_

_Mere: Anyway, why did you wake me up in the first place? I was really enjoying that nap :P_

A few moments passed before his reply.

_Walker: Go and check your Twitter Mere, I posted something that you all might want to see._

Puzzled (and I'll admit, more than slightly annoyed), I opened my Twitter and searched through my mentions. Finally, I found one from Walker, from about fifteen minutes ago.

_ FunkWalk: Look who's back! LaurenLopez1, Brian_Holden, Claark, ghostydiddy, julesmariatells, DylanSaunders, DarrenCriss, jaimelynbeatty_.

Attached was a photo. I opened it and squealed rather loudly. So loudly that Brian wandered in, looking half-asleep.

"What's going on Mere?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes. Wordlessly, I held up my phone which still had the photo open. We shared an excited glance before I felt my phone vibrate in my hand. I saw that I had a new text from Walker.

_Walker: Seen it yet?_

Laughing, I sent him a text in reply.

_Mere: So THAT's why my phone was going nuts with the Twitter notifications while I was texting you! Ha ha, yeah so's Brian. _

_Walker: So was that worth being woken up for? Am I forgiven *puppy dog eyes*_

_Mere: *mock exasperated sigh* I could have done without being woken up, but yeah, it was worth it :) As for forgiveness, I'll get back to you on that one :P_

_Walker: Good enough for me :D_

_Mere: How is he by the way?_

It took a few minutes for him to reply, and when he did, Brian and I had settled on his couch with glasses of water.

_Walker: Mostly just tired; he was asleep when I left about 10 minutes ago, but otherwise he seems okay. Just as cheeky and happy as ever. He seemed a bit put out about having to stay in hospital though….._

Brian and I couldn't help but laugh when we read that last comment.

_Mere: So nothing's changed ha ha :D Aw, that's good, at least he's awake now. Anyway, I better go, see you tomorrow maybe? Oh, and Brian says hi!_

_Walker: sure :) Hi to you too Brian!_

Sighing happily, I exited the conversation and snuggled into Brian's shoulder for a movie. Things were finally looking up it seemed.


	12. Chapter 12

_(Joey's POV)_

It had barely been three days and already I wanted out. Not because it was cramped, boring, lonely and just unbearable (even though it was), but because Walker had told me that the tour was starting up again. Tonight was opening night, and I was alone in my room since I wasn't allowed to join the tour until tomorrow when I was discharged.

At about 5:30pm (the show had been going for half an hour already), to my surprise, Julia came to visit with a smile splitting her face and carrying a small bundle in her arms. I glanced up from my book when I heard the door open and returned her smile when she sat down.

"You're looking very pleased about something Jules" I greeted her cheekily. She just continued to smile at me.

"Well, you know, the tour's just opened and everything is going really well" she replied cryptically.

"Wait, shouldn't you be down at the theatre then?" I asked, frowning at her briefly.

"They can handle themselves without me there for a bit. Besides, I had a few things to do" she replied, grinning wider.

I was about to ask her what she meant when a nurse walked in carrying a clipboard.

"S'cuse me, but I was told to bring you these forms to sign" she informed us, speaking in a thick Southern drawl.

Curious, I reached out to take the forms, not noticing Julia's grin widen even further. She looked like she was about to burst with excitement. I understood why when I read the heading on the forms.

_Patient Discharge Agreement_

That's as far as I got. I just sat there in shock before raising my head and meeting Julia's face, a grin to rival her's beginning to creep onto my face.

"But…..how did you…? I mean, I wasn't supposed to get these until tomorrow...I thought that –" she cut me off there with a small chuckle.

"I had a word: Dr Potter said it was fine as long as you were extra careful. I also arranged for us to go straight to the theatre in time to watch the rest of the show. You. Are. Welcome" she finished with a smirk. I leant forward and hugged her: I was so happy.

"Thanks Jules" I whispered, heart beating a mile a minute in elation, smile threatening to split my face in half.

I signed the forms quickly and handed them back to bored-looking nurse. The two women left the room, leaving me to change. Moving slowly, I slipped out of the hospital-issue gown and into the loose shirt and jeans that Julia had brought. She came back into the room just as I was putting my shoes on. Taking my hand, we walked out of the room and down the hallway. We went downstairs and found Corey waiting for us in the waiting room. He smiled broadly when he saw us.

"About time you two showed up" he smirked as he led us out to his waiting car. I was practically leaping out of my skin with excitement, I could hardly sit still. Julia and Corey kept sending amused glances in my direction as we chatted amiably on the way to the theatre.

When we got there, I undid my seatbelt and waiting impatiently for Julia and Corey to follow me inside. Immediately heading backstage, I stood in the wings, hidden from view by the curtains. I itched to be out there, performing and giving the fans what they came here for. But the others were doing such a good job, and plus, I didn't think that Julia would let me. At the same time, I was bursting with happiness for my friends, and the fact that I was backstage watching them perform was enough (only for now, I didn't want to miss too many shows).

I had been standing there for maybe ten minutes when I heard the opening notes for _Going Back to Hogwarts_ – the final song. Smiling, I turned to Julia, who shook her head. My shoulders slumped slightly in disappointment as I turned back to watch. When Jaime started singing the first chorus (superbly I might add), I felt a nudge in my left side. I glanced down and Corey smiling at me as he nodded towards the stage.

"Go on when it's your turn" he told me.

"Is Julia okay with that?" I asked.

"Yeah, I had a word" Corey smirked.

I glanced back at Julia for confirmation. She nodded and mouthed "be careful" before smiling softly. By now, Brian was singing.

"I'll cast some spells with a flick of my wand, defeat the dark arts: yeah bring it on!"

I stepped forward onto the very border of the stage as Corey handed me a microphone.

"And do it all with my best friend Ron, cause together we're totally awesome!" Brian sang.

Just as Joe was about to sing my line, I stepped out onstage and sang as loud as I could.

"Yeah, cause together we're totally awesome!"

It took them all a second to realise I was there, even with the deafening scream of delight from the fans, but once they did, I was engulfed in the biggest StarKid hug of my life. Laughing, I melted into it as the music stopped behind us and the band joined us in the hug. After I had finally managed to disentangle myself, I turned my smile to the fans, who at once squealed very loudly.

"Let's kick this up a notch guys, whaddya say?" Laughing at my obvious show reference, the fans cheered as I turned back to my friends, all of whom were grinning like idiots (though I bet I was too). The band took their places once more and the music began playing. There were wide smiles all around as I sang my next line.

"It's been so long, but we're going back….."

It was true, I thought. It had been so long (it had seemed that way anyway) since we had all performed together as a group. I felt – from what I had heard from those dark and lonely hours when I was unconscious, that it wasn't the same without all of us. Sure this time it was me, but I felt that it would be the same if it had been someone else. Add that to the fact that two weeks really drags by when all you are allowed to do is lie motionless in a hospital bed. But now, I was back where I really belonged.

_**Fin.**_

**And so ends the story. Thank you all so much for reading/reviewing/following/favouriting. It really means a great deal to me to know that you enjoyed the story, and it encourages me to write more.**

**Which is why I am proud to announce: **_**Hitting the Road**_** – the sequel to **_**Hard Hit**_**! Yes, you heard right, I am in the process of writing the sequel, and the first chapter is nearly finished. Now, I have a question to ask you lovely people: what do you want to see? I will be taking your opinions and wishes into account in order to complete the sequel. So if you have any ideas/requests/suggestions, leave them in a review or feel free to PM me. **

**Anyway, this has gone on long enough, so thank you again, and I'll see you in the sequel!**

**With love,**

**narnian-starkid**


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